Sorry for the long delay. Was very busy! (readers: HOW MANY TIMES are you going to use that excuse??) But it's true! Was also hit by a serious case of writer's block by the flood of homework spilling out of bag and locker. -_- It's a sad life. ^_^ Anyhow, enjoy!
Patty g: Noticed the 'SORTA'! Ha ha ha! Hey, who knows, you might find yourself carrying a LONG LIVE SUKI banner by the end of the story! 0_0 Imagine that!
Zwey: You used that line before? Did it work? ^_^ Have fun majoring in LEGAL management! And don't file a lawsuit against me. ^_^
Iluvenis Telperien: You're already kicking her, so I guess that's settled. Ha ha! I dunno what to do with her! I cannot decide which punishment would suit her best! Wanna help me? *immediately regrets asking that at the violent smile lighting up on Iluvenis' face* Uh, never mind.
Tensaispira: Dun haf to read the Jin fic ^_^ Dun wanna pollute your innocent mind! Ha ha ha! Happy CNY too, even though it's a month too late. Ke ke ke!
Unquestionable: Me in Form 5, but I'm your age! ^_^ Physics is the bane of my life. Add Maths okay lagi lar… *shudder* But I wouldn't think twice about murdering the person who invented it.
Karen: Beautiful? Whoa… that's a powerful word there! You sure I deserve it? ^_^ Ha ha! Have fun reading this chap!
Unchained: Am writing, be rest assured. ^_^ Enjoy this chap!
Tiran: Hey, you're free to think of Akima any way you like. ^_^ If she's a Mary Sue to you, then she is. I just hope she didn't spoil your reading! I wish you good luck with your throw-self-in-front-of-car-get-crippled-aid-Akira-fall-in-love-and-live-happily-ever-after plan! Wahahaha!
Crazy4u: *pulls out knife* You were saying about Rukawa…?? *puts knife away* Ha ha! Enjoy the story anyway, rukawa fan or not!
Angel-leigh: Thank you very much. ^_^ *eyes narrow* Ehem, YOUR kaede? ^_^
Fiery-ice: Is saying my fics are funny alright? Of course, you cabbage! ^_^ Sorry about the soap operas. I'm afraid I'm getting more and more boring these days! Waaargh!
Frozenfemale: Cari pasal punya orang. That was what my counsellor said to me. Wahahaha! You're not Pn. Song, are you? ^_^ Things I joined this year: Humanitarian, Webmaster, Sports, Navy, UBS and *wince* prefectorial board.
Jo-sen7: Akira and Suki not decided yet. Half of you are supporting it, half of you are not… so my brain's kind of dizzy. Ha ha! But who knows? Wait with anxious breaths… ^_^
Reika Zelon: Yes! I will WORK IT! *sings Missy's song* *somebody screams at ntd to stop* Sheesh! Thank you for reading this, reika! *muah!* He he!
sLL: You want to talk chilli with your friends? I don't mind, as long as they don't send you off to Tanjung Rambutan. Ke ke ke!
Miracle: Yeah, I know your school! Do you happen to know any 'Kenny' in Form 5? I met him in a Microsoft computer thingie and am confused if he's in MGS or CHS! Waaargh! Continue reading!
Chibiangel: Thank you! We'll see about Sendoh and Suki. *wink*
Lil*funky*myndz: Look forward no more! It's here!
"Welcome home!" Mrs. Kaede said brightly, wrenching the door open.
Akima stared, stupefied. "Sorry," she muttered, eyes wide. "I must have walked into the wrong house."
Mrs. Kaede laughed. "I came over for the free dinner your mother promised me," she informed, taking hold of Akima and pulling her inside. "Apparently, there's some sort of a special occasion tonight."
"Oh?" Akima quickly tried to recall if today was anyone's birthday. If a gift was needed, she could probably dig something up from under her bed… or maybe from the bathroom sink or – "Oh. Hello." She said to Kaede, who was all but building a nest for himself in the living room couch.
He opened one eye. "I'm sleeping." He closed his eyes again, tightly.
She grunted. "I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me. Hello anyway." She turned to Mrs. Kaede. "I'm just going to go upstairs and change. I'll come down as soon as possible."
"No problem. The chicken is still simmering anyway." With a beaming smile, Mrs. Kaede glided into the kitchen to help. Akima wondered how one could do that so gracefully in pink, house slippers, and then chuckled to herself and quickly rushed up to change.
When she came down, bathed and fresh, her stepbrother had just walked in with his duffel bag. "Rukawa!" he exclaimed then, loudly, just for the heck of it. The young boy jolted awake. "Long time no see! You're still alive!"
The irritation flashed clearly on Kaede's face. "Idiot."
"And you're here! Flesh and blood!"
"And hair," Akima added, reaching out to tug his dark locks as she passed, heading for the kitchen.
"Why aren't you dead yet?" Akira asked seriously.
Kaede rubbed his eyes. "You wish."
"Oh, I have. Here I was," Akira raised his arms tragically in the air, "thinking Shohoku had lost its mainstay and that Ryonan could go forward as smoothly as shiny oil."
"In your fat dreams."
"My dreams aren't fat," smirking, he threw the basketball he'd been carrying to Kaede. "They're beautiful. Care for a game outside, ace?"
Before Kaede could tell him exactly what he cared for, Mrs. Hanashi poked her head out. "Dinner's ready! Akira, go and change. I am not going to allow you to come to the table smelling like compost heap."
Akira sniffed at himself. "It's not that bad."
"Yeah," Akima agreed, setting the cutleries on the tablecloth. "It's worse."
"And Kaede, for heaven's sake," Mrs. Kaede piped up, hands on hips, with a God-help-me look on her face, "put the ball down. You can't eat it." She turned to Mrs. Hanashi. "I've seen the ball so often that I see it in my dreams as well."
"Same here," Mrs. Hanashi nodded understandingly. "It's what us mothers of basketball players have to endure. Akima, bowl on the left side."
"Whoops." Akima corrected her mistake. "Okay."
"Where's the chicken?"
Mrs. Kaede blinked. "It's not here?"
"No. Must be in the kitchen still. I'll go get it."
"Okay. Oh! The fish isn't here either!"
"I don't have enough bowls!" Akima said out loud.
"I don't have my chopsticks, sorry," Mr. Hanashi said then.
"Okay. It's coming. What was it? Bowl? Chopsticks?"
"Both!"
"Where's the milk?" Akira asked as he skipped in, freshly dressed. "Oh? We're not having cornflakes?"
"Out of the way! Out of the way! The fish is coming! And it's boiling hot!"
"Aaargh! What's this chair doing here?"
"Akira, pass this to Dad please."
"Okay. You're too far. Can't reach."
"Lean over."
"Okay." Then – "Ah! I've got tomato sauce on my shirt!"
"Go and change, Akira. Get a new shirt."
"Again??"
It was half an hour later before Kaede picked up enough courage to step in. Cautiously, he looked around. "Has the circus ended?"
"Eggs." Akima said to her stepbrother.
"I'm Akira Sendoh. I'm not Eggs."
"Three… two… "
"Okay, okay. Eggs coming."
"Kaede," Mrs. Hanashi said then. "Pass me the ketchup, please, darling."
"Mom, I thought that title was reserved for me."
Akima smirked. "Don't fret, Akira. She calls me darling too."
"Whoops! Watch it, Kaede. You're going to spill it into the rice bowl."
"A true Kodak moment," Akira muttered then, grinning. "Kaede Rukawa passing the ketchup."
"Shut up."
"Kaede, darling," Akira mocked. "Will you please hand over the garlic bread?"
"He's glaring."
"Hmm. Maybe I used the wrong word. What would you like? Honey-bun? Sugarplum? Strawberry Shortcake?"
"Stupid lunatic."
"Kaede!"
"Sorry, mom."
"Stupid lunatic? Not bad. Suits you, Rukawa."
"It was for you."
"Kaede!"
"Sorry."
Mr. Hanashi cleared his throat to get their attention.
He didn't get any.
"The fish is a bit salty. It must be your fault, Akima."
"What the –"
"I cooked it, Akira," Mrs. Kaede said calmly.
"Oh. Did I say salty? What I meant was tasty."
Mr. Hanashi cleared his throat again.
They ignored him, thinking he was getting rid of a bone stuck in his throat.
"Don't touch that! That was the last cucumber slice! I pegged it first!"
"It's in my hands now, isn't it? Hey Kaede, get your girlfriend off my back."
"Why? She likes it there."
For the third time, Mr. Hanashi cleared his throat. "I'd like to speak here, please."
"Oh." Akira and Akima lowered the spoons they'd raised to attack each other with. "Sorry, dad."
"I have an announcement to make," Mr. Hanashi started.
"Woo hoo!" Akira cheered. "Heh heh. Couldn't resist."
Mr. Hanashi playfully punched him in the shoulder, making his stepson's head all but dive into his bowl of soup. "My company has opened yet another branch. That's because our business has been doing very, very well that we think it's about time we expand it even further."
"That's sound thinking," Mrs. Kaede agreed. "If my husband were here, he'd tell you the same thing."
"Thanks," Mr. Hanashi grinned. "I'll give him a call. As it is, I have been bestowed the honour to head the branch opening, like I did a year ago right here in Japan. So –"
"Oh!" Akima said suddenly. "Oh, oh, oh."
They looked at her. "Something wrong, Akima?"
"No," But she had gone dead pale. "No, nothing. Before you go on, give me a minute." She turned to Kaede in panic. "Do you want to go to the toilet?"
He blinked at her. "No."
"Of course you do," With a nervous laugh, she pushed herself up. "You've been dying to relieve yourself."
"No."
Co-operate for once, you idiot! "Eheh. You must have been drinking too much. You don't even know what you're saying."
Kaede was staring at her with his chopstick stuck in his rice. "I only had a glass of plain water."
"Akima," Mr. Hanashi started, baffled. "Why don't you just sit –"
"Just a minute, dad. Okay," she said to Kaede. "Fine. I want to go to the toilet. Come with me."
Akira's eyebrows rose two centimetres. "Ahem?"
Kaede was frowning over his half-eaten fish. "Go yourself. You know where it is."
Akima bristled slightly, but kept the smile in place. "Of course I know where it is." She all but hissed politely. "But I wouldn't mind having some company along. Why don't you be a gentleman and accompany me? It wouldn't hurt any particular limb."
"Akima," her father piped up then, more firmly. "Sit down. This is no way to treat a guest."
Akima's smile faded a bit, and she muttered a quiet oath as she helplessly lowered herself back onto her seat.
Her father opened his mouth again. "As I was saying –"
"Oh, wait!" Akima cried out enthusiastically. "Akira has a story to tell!"
Akira blinked. "I do?"
"Yes! About his new basketball assistant manageress. They're… they're in love!"
Akira's mouth dropped open, revealing his half-chewed bread. "WHAT?"
Mrs. Hanashi had set her chopsticks down with an interested and sly look. "Oh, really? Listen to that, Mizano. My little boy's all grown up. Who's this future daughter-in-law of mine?"
"D-daughter-in-law??" Akira had to grip the ends of the table for sanity. "You've got it all wrong, mom! There's nothing going on between me and Suki –"
"Oh, so it's Suki, isn't it? Not such a bad name."
"Charming name." Mrs. Rukawa agreed.
Mr. Hanashi looked as though he'd given up talking as a stricken Akira attempted to defend himself. "No, no, no –"
"What is she like? Have I ever met her? Why aren't you bringing her around? When am I going to meet her? Is she a good student? Is she active in sports?"
"No, mom, no –"
"Took you long enough. I've been forever waiting for you to hook up with someone. Ironic that Akima beat you to it. You're supposed to be a hunk in your school, aren't you, Akira?"
Kaede snorted.
"This Suki must be pretty popular too, hmm? I can't wait to hear all about her. Maybe you can even write me an essay. That way I get to check your girlfriend AND your language skills at the same time."
"That's not a bad idea," Mrs. Rukawa commented, looking at Kaede who immediately paled.
Akira's head slowly sank hopelessly. "Nooo…" he muttered pitifully.
Pleased, Akima took another serving of rice.
Forty-five minutes and thirty seconds later, Mrs. Rukawa turned to Mr. Hanashi. "You were saying something, weren't you?"
Mr. Hanashi looked up at the ceiling and muttered a quick prayer. "Yes, as a matter of fact I was." He glanced around the table. "Oh, but Akima's not here."
"She's in the toilet," his wife informed. They exchanged a quiet look. "Never mind that. Just get on with it, Mizano."
"All right," Mr. Hanashi said, heaving a sigh. He slowly took a look around the table, acknowledging everyone with a glance. "Mrs. Rukawa," he nodded formally, "my wife, Risako, my son, Akira, and … is he sleeping?"
Mrs. Rukawa jabbed her son sharply with her elbow. "Not anymore."
Kaede groggily opened his eyes. "Arghhum."
"Kaede," Mr. Hanashi continued. "What I really wanted to announce was…" he took a deep breath, couldn't quite stop the proud grin, "our entire family has been given the privilege to move to Spain for a few years."
Reactions varied.
Mrs. Hanashi: [proud smile] "Yes, that's right."
Akira: [open mouth] "Really? Whoa."
Mrs. Rukawa: [surprised] "I see."
Kaede: [blank face] "…"
And the last one, Akima: [standing at the doorway with a bar of soap in her hand] "Aaaargh!"
Readers: WHAT? All this time and you only wrote THREE pages?
Ntd: Er… heh heh…
Readers: Yaaaaargh!
Latest news on CNN: Nothingtodo has escaped the country's border and doesn't seem to be returning any time soon. The business news will be coming up shortly. Good night.